Posted on 01/04/2014 7:33:23 PM PST by Windflier
Experts have warned that Friday's freezing temperatures were simply a warm-up and that this weekend will bring a big chill for 140 million people - almost half the nation - that could prove fatal for the unprepared - and will continue through the winter.
With the Northeast still reeling from the huge storm that dumped as much as two-feet of snow across the region and was responsible for the deaths of 16 people, a new weather system is threatening to bring record low temperatures to the Midwest as a polar vortex barrels over the United States.
'It's the mother lode of cold air,' said Weather Channel coordinating meteorologist Tom Moore. 'On the heels of what will be the coldest air of the season, will be dangerous, life-threatening winds.'
Because of the winds, 'It may feel as cold as negative 50 to negative 60 on Sunday night over sections of the north-central states,' the National Weather Service said to NBC News. 'In those conditions, frost bite sets in on exposed skin within five minutes.'
Moore said that as the freakishly cold weather hits the region, authorities need to act fast to avoid a human catastrophe because of the chill.
'Anybody living out on the streets needs to be rounded up and put into a shelter,' said Moore to MSNBC News.
'The repercussions ... could be deadly, and I'm afraid we're going to see cases like that.'
The temperature predictions are startling: 25 below zero in Fargo, North Dakota, minus 31 in International Falls, Minnesota, and 15 below in Indianapolis and Chicago.
The so-called 'polar vortex' will send cold air piled up at the North Pole down to the U.S., funneling it as far south as the Gulf Coast.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
When I first came to Western, Kansas I worked a Civil Service job. The people I worked with told me that every paved road would be cleared at least once a day. They said keep warm sleeping bag and you would be OK until the snow plow came around.
I took their advice but was never caught but I think if I had not had a 4wd pickup, I would have.
Oh, I know. During the freezing winter I spent in England, a head gasket failed on my Jag. I spent about a week inside an ice cold warehouse doing the repair with my bare hands. It was miserable work, but I got 'er dun.
Isn't that cold enough to instantly freeze exposed skin? Sheeesh...!
It has been a relatively ‘slow’ year for critters up here. They, (except for my Bear buddies of course), are usually all over the place in winter time! Just nature’s swings from year to year and I have seen the ups and downs before.
Only for beating the living daylights out of enviros. I’m all for anything that makes them look asinine, but this is too much.
32 right now in Wasilla. Pretty pleasant for January. Coldest at my house this year so far was -20 a few weeks ago. Luckily with no wind.
37F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is shirtsleeve weather. We open the windows at 37F.
We have an actual -24 predicted overnight Sunday and -20 overnight Monday. It stays cold, but warms up until we are in positive territory on Thursday and nearly 30 by Friday.
We are used to it. I’ve noticed our bad winters run in threes. This is the second in a row. About ten years ago we had -35 for nearly a week, with -20 and minus teens in the daytime. Three winters ago, it was so warm in December and January, I remember telling the propane driver we really had no need for gas, since we’d barely used any.
Back in the 70s, this was pretty much average winter weather. I really miss the warm years of the 80s and 90s, though.
Someone, somewhere, is looking out over weather as cold as Mars, blaming it on global warming.
It was - 35°
I thought for sure I was going to die between the truck and the front door. I've never seen it close to that temperature in Michigan before or since.
I live about 200 miles further north now, it's barely going to get below zero, so it's not really that big of a deal, heck I'll probably go out cross country skiing tomorrow.
Gotta love the intensity of the global warming though......
Unreal....
We’re doomed, I tell ya.
Oh my, THAT is Cold.
But for the cold, your place sounds like paradise.
It was 30 above today in SW Wisconsin. My husband overheated cutting wood and was outside in a just a sweater for awhile. He’s 63, though. Too old for a tshirt, today.
We have all those critters here in Texas, plus a lot more nasties that northern folk don't have to deal with. If you live in an urban area, though, about the worst you have to deal with in winter are mice and squirrels. The critters get a bit more interesting as you get further out of town.
Now those are 'interesting'. Wild hogs are a big problem in this part of the country. They're such a problem, that there's no restrictions on taking them.
Lol. I completely “get” what you are saying. I left when I was 24 and never, ever regretted it. IMO, life is simply too short to endure winter if you do not like it. Well, my entire life I have loathed it.
Here in MA I was outside with the dog last night and the Weatherunderground.com was reporting -4 degrees.
It was the Coldest I’ve been in a while, can’t imagine -30 or -60.....ouch.
Tonight its 27 degrees.....feels balmy in comparison.
I'm sure we'll all be hearing that not matter what the temperature might be. All hail the mighty Won!
In the car? That makes a whole lot of sense to me. It would seem to be one of those no-brainer survival tactics.
I had a long bed pickup with a fiberglass bed cover. I had a six inch thick foam pad in the bed for emergency camping. With the cold weather sleeping bag I would have been fine for just part of a day.
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